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T.H.E.L.M.A.

Chara thelma

Race
Age
Unknown
Known Affiliations
Crew of The Christa
Played By


T.H.E.L.M.A. (shortened from Techno-Human Emulating Machine) is an android who was found on The Christa at the time the students first boarded the ship. She often seems to be part of the ship itself.

Character[]

Thelma was discovered aboard the Christa at the begining of the series, when the crew first boarded at the academy. She is occasionally unstable, due to a faulty memory chip which may have been damaged when Harlan stepped on it, but is nonetheless a useful crewmember. Despite her malfunctioning memory, she is often able to provide information about the ship and other subjects that would otherwise remain unknown.

Thelma is a human-emulating android, but her behavior is usually inconsistent with that of a true human being. While she is clearly self-aware, she is often unsure whether she has emotions or is merely emulating them. She also often seems confused by normal human behavior, such as Catalina's argument with Suzee in "Desperately Seeking Suzee" and her explanation of friendship. However, she has the capacity for startling insight, such as her explanation of families to Radu in "It's My Birthday, Too (Yeah!)". Her responses are sometimes achingly literal, to comic effect, and would boarder on sarcasm if she did not truly believe that she was answering the question posed (e.g. Goddard: "What is our position." Thelma: "On the floor, sir.").

Thelma has a particular habit of appearing suddenly when needed, much to Goddard's annoyance. When she does not know how to respond in a situation, she will often produce music and begin dancing.

Thelma's most important function seems to be in acting as a steward of the Christa and as a liason between the ship and the crew. Often Thelma is the first one to know of a problem with the ship's systems or an approaching threat; indeed she seems to have a direct link with the Christa's computer systems. This lends credence to the theory that she, like the Christa, was built by the Lumanians, as does the fact that the color-altering effects of entering the alien planet's atmosphere in "New Places, New Faces" on the Christa were reflected by an identical change to Thelma's coloration.

Trivia[]

  • Due to her symbotic relationship with the Christa, Thelma turned silver as well when the ship crashed. Making her look more streamlined and less short-circuited.
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